The Marriage Agreement

Chapter 19: I don't want you like a best friend

Tine's POV

"Wat." I called him out just as he was putting in the key into the house door. My anger had somehow diminished the moment Sarawat intertwined his hands with mine. And now, I just felt like an awful person for yelling at him and for prying on his life. So what if he didn't tell me this was his hometown? It was probably very difficult for him to just be here.

"You don't have to show me the house if you don't want. I don't have to see it to know how much this place means to you." I said. "I am sorry for yelling at you. I was the one in bad mood and that's on me. You don't owe me any explanation, Wat. The last thing I would want to do is cross your personal boundaries and make you uncomfortable."

Sarawat turned back and gave me a warm smile. His hands moving up and down my waist. "You could never make me uncomfortable, Tine. And you aren't crossing any personal boundaries. This is just me, putting my walls down... for you. Because, like you said... that's what you do in a good, real marriage."

The butterflies in my stomach took a deep dive. I had never felt so scared in my life.

You're leading him down a path you will never walk, Tine. A voice inside me said.

When Sarawat opened the door, I realised how much more beautiful the house was — and how it looked from so different, as compared to the outside. It was modern, cosy, and full of sunlight.

"I kept the exterior of the house exactly the same. My grandfather had built this house by his own hands, without any help. But I obviously had to completely change the interiors to make the house more liveable.... We hardly had any furniture or storage growing up. The house was always overflowing."

The sunlight was coming through big windows. The living room led to an open kitchen — The decor was full of white walls and hardwood furniture. It reminded him of the sea somehow.

It was small but it was very cozy, may be for one person. I couldn't image how an entire family lived in a small house like that.

"Its beautiful, Wat." I looked at Sarawat only to realise he was looking right at me. "I have never heard you talk about your grandfather before."

"That's because I never met him. He passed away before I was born."

"Did you parents also..." I left the question hanging. I wasn't sure if I should complete that thought.

"My father went to jail right around the time Phukong was born. Mother decided to leave us when Phukong was less than a year old. So it has just been me, Phu, and Grandma since then ... Or we used to be."

My heart ached. I couldn't believe what kind of monster would treat their kids like that.

"Have you tried getting in touch with them?"

"The last I heard of my father, he OD'd in jail a couple of years ago and my mother.. I have no idea where she is or if she alive. And I have no interest in finding her either."

I closed my eyes, unable to shake this feeling of sorrow that had made room in heart. Without giving it a second thought, I tooks steps forward and hugged Sarawat tightly. "I am sorry you had to go through all that, Wat."

Sarawat's hand landed on my waist. He nestled his on my shoulder.

"Money was really tight growing up. Grandma was the only one working — She worked in the factory. 15-16 hours a day. She was tired all the time and now that I am older, I realise she was working herself to her death.

So I left for Bangkok, hoping to make some good money and help cut her working hours, or hopefully help her stop working there altogether. The factory was toxic you know — in every sense. They put profits over human safety. People worked for pennies so millionaires could put all the profit in their pockets."